Art

In a sun-filled warehouse, in the Cannaregio neighbourhood of Venice resides the latest exhibition by Ukrainian photographer Boris Mikhailov titled Parliament. During the pre-opening week of the 57th Venice Biennale, I took a trip to Italy to immerse myself with art, to meet Mikhailov and attend the opening reception for the Ukrainian Pavilion.

The beginning of a New Year always feels so invigorating, new goals, new challenges and new adventures. For me, I’m super excited about two projects that I care about, both involving art and philanthropy—the Dallas Contemporary and MTV RE:DEFINE.

Works of art at MTV RE:DEFINE 2016 art auction and gala

My friend Joyce Goss executive director of the Goss-Michael Foundation and her brother-in-law co-founder Kenny Goss (co-founded with the late George Michael), last year asked if I would chair my favourite gala MTV RE:DEFINE! More to come on this topic, but needless to say, I emphatically agreed and since then I’ve been working with Joyce and the MTV RE:DEFINE team towards developing a fantastic event on Friday, March 24, at the Dallas Contemporary, so save the date.

Manus x Machina Back in early 2014, I visited the Museum of Arts & Design in Manhattan to view the exhibition “Out of Hand: Materialising the Postdigital,” which was an exhibition focused on computer-assisted design—3D-printing, a manufacturing method now used by fashion designers, artists and architects. The exhibition, curated by Ron Labaco included works by artist Anish Kapoor, the late architect Zaha Hadid and milliner Stephen Jones to name a few. After that, I visited the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see ‘Charles James: Beyond Fashion.’

A photo posted by Maxine Morgan Trowbridge (@maxtrowbridge) on May 16, 2014 at 2:36pm PDT

What intrigues me, then and now, is the connection of digital manufacturing in fashion and how it’s progressed from haute couture. In one day I viewed two separate exhibitions, the first clearly a modern-day marvel of technology, and the haute couture era of designer Charles James. The dichotomy is poetic.

Helmut Lang: I’m not talking about the fashion brand that you find racked at Neiman Marcus, the eponymous designer departed his namesake label back in 2005 after selling it to the Prada Group, I’m talking about Helmut Lang the artist. Fast forward 10+ years since selling his business Mr Lang has quietly and patiently been creating sculptures in his East Hampton studio, and in February, I had the opportunity to meet with Mr Lang at his home and tour his studio.

I cannot believe I’ve been a board member at the Dallas Contemporary for just over 5 years, holding strong with a couple other long-term members I’ve supported the organisation through thick and thin: tumultuous, controversial, sad, and super-exciting. Whilst many in Dallas choose to focus on the negative of a fledgeling institution, I only choose to reflect on the positive, and all the amazing triumphs and successes that this edgy institution has provided the Dallas community. Exhibitions by artists such as Robb Pruitt, Jennifer Rubell, Inez Van Lamsveerde + Vinoodh Matadin, Juergen Teller and Erza Petronio, Erwin Wurm, Gabriel Dawe, Joseph Havel, and K8 Hardy.

Walter Van Beirendonck, photo by Ronald Stoops.

So, what’s next? During the Dallas Art Fair frenzy, next Friday the Dallas Contemporary will open its latest exhibition by Belgium menswear designer Walter Van Beirendonck—coined the Cultural Ambassador of Flanders.

Hot pink just rocks! This past Thursday morning, I listened to Maxwell Anderson— Director of the Dallas Museum of Art, Gabriel Ritter—The Nancy and Tim Hanley Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art, and Eva Respini—Associate Curator at MOMA articulate full disclosure on artist Cindy Sherman and her enlightening disposition, at the exhibition preview at the Dallas Museum of Art.

Cindy Sherman Untitled #96 1981

Ask for a character reference on Sherman, and you will become bemused with the utter array of eccentric characters that she has portrayed throughout her career. The exhibition, a huge success in New York is now exhibiting in Dallas replete with macabre and perplexing portraits of insidious characters that represent the very cultural identity of today’s pop culture.